


Peggy's Boys

by latenightfondues



Series: War Stories [2]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Everything Hurts, F/M, Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 06:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6318916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latenightfondues/pseuds/latenightfondues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy gives birth to Michael Steven Carter-Rogers, some months after Steve goes down in the ice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Crashed Family

 

Michael Steven Carter-Rogers was born a healthy child of Margaret Carter and the deceased Captain Steve Rogers. He was a tiny child with bright-blue eyes and the most adorable smile in the world. His resemblance with his father was undeniable, both the outlooks and the sweetness of his soul.

 

The first months hadn't been the easiest ones. Peggy took time off duty to take care of the lovable kid with no father. Even with her lack of experience, Michael wasn't hard to be looked after. He spent most part of the days eating and sleeping, practically almost in that order. Her parents were always there to help too. They eased that longing feeling that Peggy had in her heart every time she looked at Michael.

 

It wasn't an easy task. Being reminded of Steve every day, of all the time they lost, of all he was missing out now.

 

Peggy cried every night when she went to bed, when she could finally be in the safety of being alone. She sobbed and held tight to that picture she stole from his file.

 

She was living in London with her family and it was 1946, so people talked. She was a single woman, walking around the neighbourhood with a newborn baby right after the war ended. Most times, Peggy didn't mind. She never had to prove anything to anyone. But she feared for Michael to be misjudged because of her.

 

The golden wedding band on her finger was pretty convincing and it came right when she moved to Brooklyn, but it bothered her badly. The message it gave and the actual thing rubbing on her finger for no actual reason. Peggy kept telling herself it was so her child wouldn't be judged. She had the whole story in her mind. It wasn't half true, aside from the fact she didn't actually marry the deceased soldier. But it worked for her, for them.

 

Michael was developing fast, he was quiet most time and fed like there was no tomorrow. It had always been painful to Peggy, her chest was always huge and sore by the amount of milk her body produced. But it all faded away when she looked down to those precious iris, glancing at her with sweetness, his tiny fist curled against her chest as he almost dozed off in the midst of his pure delight. That little boy was everything to her.

 

After she started working for the SSR, she met Howard's butler, Mr. Jarvis, who ended up helping her out not only with her missions but also with Michael. He and his lovely wife, Ana, would always take turns with Peggy's friend, Angie, during the week, to take care of the blond boy that was starting to shyly talk. Ana adored him and Michael had always been a blessing in their lives, as the Jarvis didn't have a child. The same applied to Angie, the waitress aspiring to become an actress, she spent the most fun times taking care of the little one when Peggy needed.

 

But the real bound had always been between mother and son. In her first days back at work, there wasn't a single soul that could keep Michael quiet when he was asleep. He had his mother's strong lungs and he yelled so she could hear him kilometres away. She started a routine of always coming back home during lunch to breastfeed him and that eased up as the days followed.

 

Michael was five when he began questioning about his father.

 

"He was a brave soldier, Michael..." She sheltered the boy in her arms, as they sat on the couch. Michael's immediate response was to curl up against Peggy, snuggling closer.

 

"Like mummy?"

 

"Yes. Sort of. Mummy was an agent, daddy was a big Captain." Peggy told him, fingers running through his light blond locks. "We met during the war... He was always a very honourable and brave man. He was respectable and very, very handsome. Like you."

 

"Why isn't daddy here?" It broke her heart into million pieces to hear that. Peggy hugged her son tighter, by reflection, kissing the top of his head.

 

"He's looking out for us-- Somewhere else... He's resting now, my darling. Daddy fought a lot during the war." Michael nodded to her words, seeming to understand it was how things were. It was Peggy who had tears tempering her eyes.

 

"You're crying, mummy..." Peggy nodded, smiling in the midst of tears, that rolled down slowly through her cheeks.

 

"I miss him... But it's okay, mummy is alright. I have you now, so I'm very, very happy." She grins softly when the boy reaches out and wipes off her cheeks, snuggling against her after a sloppy kiss.

 

"I wuve you, mummy." Michael had a bit of a speech problem that Peggy suspected it came from Steve, she adored it dearly.

 

A couple of weeks after that conversation and Michael was approaching his sixth birthday. Howard, his godfather, had prepared the huggest party Peggy seen. Well, Jarvis had, to be true. But with Howard banking it all, happily. Peggy thought it was overly exaggerated, but there wasn't a soul that could stop Howard. He adored Michael so much he sometimes even spoke about having a kid of his own. It was awfully funny, given his history.

 

But the real gift came the day after the party.

 

Peggy had been preparing coffee and reading the news when she received the call from her dearest friend Howard, to come right away and meet him.

 

"Peggy, we found him. We found Steve."


	2. Rebuilding the pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is found and catches up on the present.

Peggy was still shaking when she came up to the station to meet with Howard. As the SSR was on its way down the drain, Peggy, Howard and Colonel Phillips had been secretly creating an operative company to protect the country from the remains of HYDRA. The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D., headquarters were in New Jersey, where the former war training Camp Lehigh stood. It was where Howard decided to bring Steve after they found him, apparently really bad. They had indeed the best equipment there, so Peggy understood it. Michael was restless during the entire ride there.

 

Although aware of the complications of this situation, Peggy couldn't just leave her--their son behind when they had just found his dad.

 

"Why are we going so far, mum?" He had complained, holding his blanket against his face. Michael carried that around since he was a baby and even if he left it at home when he went to school, everywhere else it was his biggest company. That and a stuffed bear that had belonged to Peggy when she was young.

 

"Mummy has some-- work things that need to be done, darling. I thought you might enjoying finally going to meet where mummy and daddy met."

 

And that had been enough for him to fill her with questions all along their road to Camp Lehigh. Which only increased as they got there, Jarvis accompanying them all the way.

 

"You brought Michael?" Had been Howard's first question when she arrived the headquarters. Peggy couldn't help roll her eyes.

 

"Did you expect me to leave my son behind when his father has been found?" She spoke between teeth.

 

"We don't want to scary him, Peggy. He's got no idea how long has it been... He's been asleep through this whole time, it's like he was in a coma." Howard made a long pause, seeing how white Peggy had turned with that. She glanced Jarvis who promptly took Michael's hand and suggested they'd walk around the camp to see more of how it was. So Howard continued, "He was frozen to every last bit of blood. I thought he was dead. But apparently Dr. Erskine knew what he was up to with that serum. He's alive and he just woke up. I told him I'd grab you to come see him."

 

"You are just looking to escape the complicated explanations that are to come."

 

"Are you complaining I let you tell him all?" But she wasn't of course, Peggy just liked making her point of what she noticed.

 

"Where is he?"

 

"Resting room number three."

 

She stopped by the door, her heart speeding when she touched the handle. It was cold and she remembered of what Howard said about him being found frozen. Peggy couldn't imagine the hell Steve had been through.

 

Took some moments so she found it in herself to make such a vile movement of turning the handle and opening the door. It was all worth to realize all this hadn't been just a crazy dream. After grieving and suffering, after going up and letting him go, Steve came back for her anyways. Much later than expected. Which she could absolutely forgive him for.

 

"Steve--" Her voice caught his attention and only when she saw herself in his eyes, Peggy realised the tears on her own. She was shaking badly. Steve was immediately in front of her, wasting no time in holding her hands. He looked exactly like she had left him, years ago.

 

"Peggy." It was him. His voice so gentle, his eyes so worried. "You're shaking."

 

"You're late." They both exchanged a smile, small and broken, but wounding.

 

"I'm sorry..."

 

"You're here." She interrupts him, correcting herself. She was so happy, it showed in the way her heart pounded fast against her chest and her cheeks burned red. "Good Lord, Steve. You're back." He sobs grow bigger and it's then that Steve realises how hurt he's made her. They pull into each other's arms for one tight hug. He kissed the top of her head, gently. "I missed you."

 

"I did too..." He had little nothing of how much, although the tightness of his heart told him it was a lot. "How--How long have I been gone?"

 

"I'll tell you, darling..." Peggy pulled back just enough to stare at him, cupping his cheek with one hand. "Give me just a second." He was ready to nod and pull away, believing she needed some space, when she pulled him in to a kiss. Deeper than the one they had last shared, but as passionate as the ones they exchanged when they made a baby.

 

After a couple of kisses, several promises of love and some whispers, they were seating side by side on the edge of the bed he had to himself in the room. Peggy took her time when explaining what followed his crash, how he was never found after that for months. She much painfully told him how the searches had to be reduced for the great cost and lack of any trace and how she felt like she needed to accept the facts and let him go. By this point, the tears in her eyes showed the regret and pain Peggy carried now. Steve on the other hand, didn't seem to bother that she let him go, repeating several times how it had been a great long time and that he understood she did the right thing. They were holding hands all through it. It's important to remember, until this point, she hadn't mentioned Michael yet.

 

It was when she was about to do it that Jarvis came to knock at the door.

 

"Ms. Carter, I'm very sorry to interrupt, but Michael you is asking about lunch? Do you want me to take him or should we wait for you?" Steve was pretty confuse with the butler that he didn't know who was.

 

"I'll be out in a moment, tell him to wait just a few minutes, yes?" Peggy requested gently and Jarvis nodded. "Steve, this is Mr. Jarvis... He's a dear friend and also Howard's butler." Jarvis took a step in to hold his hand for Steve, they both exchanging a handshake.

 

"It is an honor to meet you, Sir. Mr. Stark has spoken greatly about you and I personally thank you for your services during the war. Your bravery allowed me to be with the love of my life today, Mr. Rogers." Jarvis didn't usually became so personal, but all of them felt like they owe so much to Steve and knew him well thanks to Peggy and Howard's stories. Steve, the shy way he was, just thanked and nodded in his usual blush, saying he had done nothing but his duty. "I shall leave you two. We'll be waiting, Ms. Carter." Upon his departure, the silence in the room was murdering. Peggy had so much more to tell him.

 

"We can catch up later... You should go back. I'm sure it must be hard for your husband to wait outside while you're here with me."

 

"Come again?" She was startled by that last sentence.

 

"I mean, assuming you told him about our involvement during the war. I understand it's been seven years, Peggy, so that'd be alright if you didn't tell your husband." Steve cleared his throat, now feeling awkward thinking of all the kisses they had just exchanged.

 

"My what?" She's laughing, louder than expected.

 

"Your husband...?" And Steve is clearly lost.

 

"What made you think I'm married?" He pointed the ring in her finger and she almost laughed hysterically. "Oh, darling..."

 

"You're not?"

 

Composing herself again, Peggy shook her head. "There's little time left to get myself involved with anyone... This is just a cover up so people won't annoy me about my married status. I have committed to a deceased war soldier, according to the stories."

 

"Oh, I see..." It made him smile, as tragic and selfish of him as it was. But it showed how in some way she had thought of him and although he knew she always would, it was good to realise that at some point. "Who's Michael then?" The killing question finally came.

 

Peggy reached out for his hand, swallowing hard. "Do you recall that time in the mountains, where you and your men were in a mission to bringing down the bases?"

 

"You came to bring an update that had been hard to get through the communicators and that was important to the next day's invasion." Steve nodded, he remembered it all like yesterday. Well, it had been for him.

 

"Do you remember I was supposed to go back before dawn?"

 

"You stood hidden with me in my tent--" He paused and given by the blush in his cheeks, she could tell he remembered the rest.

 

"We didn't use condoms then. We were always very careful, but you did convince me that one time." Peggy never allowed them doing it without proper protection, given the time being.

 

"I missed you really badly."

 

"We both did." She knew she had for a great while. When she was allowed to meet with the Commandoes, Peggy hadn't seen Steve for months. And exchanging letters wasn't ever the same. "Well, you're one lucky bastard, Steve, with great soldiers." She cursed herself mentally for the stupid joke when he made a confused face. "I got pregnant then."

 

Then, almost like a click, it all seemed to come up together and Steve looked like he figure everything out in his head.

 

"I'm a father."

 

"Yes you are, darling... Michael Steven Rogers-Carter is the sweetest six year-old boy I've ever met.

 

"He's six?" Steve was paper white, with strong tears streaming down his cheeks. Peggy had expected that shock, so she had his hand on hers, so she could rub it comforting.

 

"His birthday was yesterday, yes."

 

"Does he know about me? Does he know I was dead?"

 

"I never really used those words. He knows about you, yes... But I always said you were resting, in a better place, because the war hurt you."

 

Steve nodded, taking in all that. There were long moments of silence before he finally spoke up again.

 

"Can I meet him?"


End file.
